You should see my bedroom, it’s like a mini hurricane came through and greeted my closet, suitcase, drawers and every other corner of this already compact room.
We had a snow storm last night. Remember folks, we’re well into spring here, as in summer starts the first of December. The last few day’s we’d been teased with a sprinkle of snow here and there, but last night we had a bigger snow than ol’ South Carolina could muster on its coldest months. So, to sum up the weather in Punta Arenas… I will be leaving in the same conditions I arrived in, cold, wet and rainy/snowy.
Friday night, we had a meeting/fiesta for the volunteers thrown by the Chilean Ministry of Education. We received a diploma (I still don’t really understands its significance but it’s better in situations like this to not ask questions and just roll with it). We then had some snacks… salami I might add. I’m pretty sure my roommate, Susan, and I cleaned them out before anyone else had the chance. My host teacher’s presented me with roses from my superintendent. Afterwards I was whisked away by my two Chilean fairy godmothers, Nelda and Danica (both co-teachers). We went back to Danicas house where I was given a book of Chileanismo’s (I have become addicted to finding all the Chilean slang I can, so Nelda couldn’t have given me a better gift… RIGHT ON CHICA!). We snacked and drank PiscoSours, which may be my taste buds favorite experience down here. My male co-teacher, Angel, dropped in to bid me farewell, truly a darling man… he’d written the sweetest thankyou card and gave me a bag I’m sure you’ll see me carrying at some point in the States. After our snacks and drinks we ventured out to La Marmita’s (Which means little cauldron) … it was one of the most adorable restuarante’s I have ever been in. Danica had pre-ordered our meal because we were having Curanto a seafood dish from Chiloe that has to be buried and cooked for a few hours… and let me tell you it was some kinda good. It had clams, mussels, smoked pork, salmon, chicken, cabbage, potatoes (duh) and was placed in the middle of the table for everyone to enjoy. We had a PiscoSour to start… this place claimed to have the best so we had to try it of course… and yes, it was the best. I snagged the recipe to take back home to ol’ SC (I think I may even make my mom try this sweet little concoction). After dinner around 1130 we headed back to Danica’s house for more gossip and gushing. Danica gave me a truly unique scarf, we chatted drank more wine and I fell asleep. Ha, around 230 we decided it was time to call it a night so Danica drove Nelda and I home.
I cried. Like a baby. Getting out of the car. I don’t know if these two women will ever understand how much they mean to me. My experience here was made because of their Chilean love and openness to the little foreign non-speaking Spanish gringa. They both taught me how to be a better teacher by showing me that although kids can be challenging, superintendent’s can be terrible, and janitors are actually the superintendent’s peeping-toms… it’s all worth it because… ha, well because… ummmm… I had it…
Because we’re teachers and it’s pretty kick butt we want to go in and fight the fight everyday so little people can go out into the world and make something of themselves, if they chose to of course. Ha.
Here’s to teachers!
The rest of the weekend has basically been all the volunteers not wanting to leave each other’s sides while stalking our Chilean friends… because, well it’s over and these people that have been part of our Punta Arena’s lives … they’re family. We’ve faced all this together; we’ve been each other’s shoulders, hands, eyes and heart at one point or another.
Volunteers in Fuerto Bulnes, confused as usual
I head out tomorrow morning for Santiago.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love hearing from you.